Our sodium intake is just right, a new study finds

Posted on April 23, 2014

The American Journal of Hypertension released new findings supporting that fact that the current sodium intake in the general population worldwide is appropriate. These results also uphold American Council on Science and Health’s long-standing view and our most recent analysis of salt in diet.

The meta analysis, conducted by Niels Gradual and colleagues of Rigshospitalet-Copenhagen University Hospital, included 274, 683 participants from 23 cohort studies, and two follow-up studies of randomized trials. The parameters for sodium intake were based upon a range consumed by 90% of the world’s population: low (less than 2,645 mg), usual (2,645 to 4,945 mg), and high (more than 4,945). The results of the analysis report lower risks of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events for those within the usual group, compared to the low intake group. In addition, the high sodium intake group was linked to greater risks of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular events, stroke and heart disease, juxtaposed to the usual intake group. In sum, too little sodium, as well as very high sodium intake, can lead to adverse health outcomes. As confirmed by Gradual’s team, consumers have already struck the right balance in sodium intake. Researchers also note that there were no differences in terms of all-cause mortality risks between the upper and lower halves of the usual range…..To Read More….

My Take – The point I have been making for years is that if a person has a problem with salt they have a problem with salt, and if a person doesn’t have a problem with salt they don’t, and no amount of studies is going to be able to determine who needs what amount, especially since it’s clear that too little salt is probably as damaging as too much.  A lot of money has gone to researchers over this, and I have no doubt they hope it will continue, but it still all comes down to guessing since it’s clear the data fails to deliver enough definitive information for them to  make a definitive declaration as to what is absolutely healthy versus what isn’t.